Mt. Nam Picked as Seoul's No. 1 Scenic Attraction

People walk along a trail lined with cherry blossom under a full bloom on Mt. Nam on April 21.

Residents of Seoul and experts in urban planning have chosen Mt. Nam as the most scenic location in Seoul. In a survey by the Seoul Development Institute of 800 residents and 103 urban planners and architects, 62.8 percent of Seoul residents and 70.9 percent of experts chose Mt. Nam.

Also high on the list were the Han River with 51.3 percent of residents and 68.9 percent of experts, Gyeongbok Palace with 39 percent of residents, and the Namsangol Hanok Village with 52.4 percent of experts.

A survey of experts about top scenic sites in different areas gave the Seoul Forest 58.3 percent and Olympic Park 55.3 among parks, while among mountains Mt. Nam garnered 90.3 percent and Mt. Bukhan 79.6 percent. Among waterways the Han River won 87.4 percent and Jungrang Stream 70.9 percent, and among historic buildings Gyeongbok Palace 86.4 percent and Sungnyemun or South Gate 35 percent.

But many of the respondents felt the scenic beauty of the capital is poor. Only 32.5 percent of residents and 35.9 percent of experts said Seoul has beautiful scenery, while 51.6 percent and 64.1 percent disagreed.